Cup O'Joe No Mo'

3/10/2019

Imagine waking up in the morning and walking into the kitchen, your eyes filled with sleep and your head foggy. You reach for your coffee, and suddenly you realize something tragic: you’ve run out of coffee. We’ve all experienced the moment of dread when we miss our morning coffee and have to face the day without it, but how would we react if that coffee disappeared altogether? Today, the risk of our world’s most popular coffee species going extinct is very real. With a combination of deforestation, droughts, plant diseases and climate change, almost 60% of coffee species in the wild could be gone soon. Aaron P. Davis stated in an interview with CNN “...coffee requires a forest habitat for its survival, with so much deforestation going on around the world, wild coffee species are being impacted at an alarming rate."

Coffee along with other popular plants like chocolate are acclimated to extremely specific habitats in the wild, so the change in climate, increase of rainfall, and rising temperatures make it nearly impossible for these species of coffee to grow where they once flourished. Unless governments and coffee producers increase the protection on these plants and save away more of the seeds, some of our favorite blends could be extinct anywhere between twenty to sixty years. Scientists have come up with a few solutions to this issue, like creating new controlled habitats for these crops, but it will not produce the same amount or quality of crops. With these new habitats, the prices of coffee could inflate and your cup o’joe might even taste worse.

Coffee is not the only plant affected by humans. Rapid deforestation could mean the end of numerous plant and animal species. However, deforestation is not necessarily a bad thing. It offers job opportunities, removed the dead or infected plants, and allows for more agricultural land. Contrarily, deforestation harms wildlife and their environment, causes floods and fires, and contributes to the issue of climate change.

In your opinion, is deforestation good, bad, or somewhere in between? How can we resolve this issue with so many plants becoming endangered? Is the solution of creating fixed environments better than attempting to preserve the wild habitats? How would your life change without coffee?

44 Comments

Kenna

3/10/2019 05:27:04 pm

Well without coffee I would be a wreck. I stay up way too late to function properly without it. Now if I got my sleep schedule together I could manage but deforestation is another matter. We need those enviroments for the plants and animals that sustain us. Deforestation may give jobs but is it really worth it for floods, fires, and climate change?

Katherine

3/10/2019 06:27:09 pm

I agree that giving jobs really isn't worth the large impact that humans are having on the environment. It would definitely hurt the plants and animals that sustain us.

Katarina

3/10/2019 07:03:07 pm

I agree. Coffee helps but we can live without it.

Saylor

3/10/2019 07:23:00 pm

We can live without it, considering we dont have to worry about it right now I'm not too worried about living without coffee. You are right that it's not something we will die over.

Conrad

3/10/2019 09:05:06 pm

I think that there is too much deforestation, especially in the southern hemisphere, it has too many drawbacks and there is no way humans could ever hope to live without trees and pretty soon there won't be a recovery option too.

Challis

3/16/2019 08:57:28 am

Yes we need coffee and we need the other plants. Deforestation is not worth it.

Katherine

3/10/2019 06:25:45 pm

I think that deforestation is only good when it is balanced. It is good for the removal of dead brush/trees to keep wildfires from spreading. It is also used for agriculture and lumber, but when those two become too much of a priority, then there is the issue of creating land that floods, slides, and is more prone to natural disaster. My life would be mostly grim without coffee. I don't drink it everyday, but it definitely helps with the tiring days.

Sariah

3/10/2019 06:45:22 pm

I agree that there is a balance for deforestation. Do you think that here in Salmon we manage our forest correctly? What do you think we could do different or the same? Also I do not drink coffee so I would not understand the struggle :)

Katarina

3/10/2019 07:02:37 pm

I agree. Deforestation can be good and who knows how much is really happening because it’s hard to find the real news.

Jesse B.

3/10/2019 07:35:12 pm

I most definitely agree that properly regulated forest management is beneficial to both sides. If the legislation leans in favor of either side of the issue, both would suffer. In places where coffee is grown, do you think a forest policy such as the one we have the US would be beneficial?

Kenna

3/10/2019 08:30:33 pm

Coffee is a true blessing. Deforestation is not worth the price of flooding and the risk of natural disasters.

Sariah

3/10/2019 06:57:16 pm

I have not fully researched or understand deforestation in our society right now but I know it is a lot less than it used to be. I also know that a lot of the deforestation today is happening in rain forest in South America and Africa. We have very little in the United States right now. I would have to say I support a balance in deforestation. I think in some circumstances there are justifications for it. Such as if the trees are dead from bugs. However I would have to fully understand the processes that are entailed.

Having to do with the coffee instance I do not drink coffee so I cannot say I would miss it or that I can relate. But I do know coffee grounds can be used for medical purposes or remedies and it would be sad to miss that part from the coffee plants.

Katherine

3/10/2019 07:03:07 pm

There is so much deforestation in the rain forests, it’s heartbreaking. There isn’t as much in the u.s. but the u.s. doesn’t have forests like the rain forests

Katarina

3/10/2019 07:01:44 pm

It sucks we might lose some different varieties of coffe but the bigger picture is we are losing nature. Due to our human race being greedy and stupid we are ruining our earth. Some nurseries may try to save different varieties of plants but due to people opinions can’t continue growing it because of a number of reasons. If we want to save the earth and it’s resources we need to come together and stop letting our opinions get in the way.

Saylor

3/10/2019 07:21:49 pm

You make a good point, we are losing nature at our own hands. It's our own fault and we need to see how the human race can stop being greedy and see how to fix the problem we created.

Rachel

3/10/2019 07:22:04 pm

I know that many nurseries around the world have ben very successful in growing endangered plants. Even locally, the Big Flat Native Plant Nursery grows native species that became extinct to our area and now are reintroduced. Why did you say that people's opinions were preventing growth? Also, why can they not continue to grow it? You said there were a number of reasons? I do agree though that we need to come together and be proactive in finding a solution to the deforestation issue.

Bailey

3/10/2019 08:14:09 pm

I agree. I think controlled deforestation is good under controlled circumstances, and that it’s a good thing we’re trying to save some of nature in nurseries. People do need to come together and realize that the only way to truly save nature is by allowing it to regrow itself and help it along by planting things in their natural habitats.

Rachel

3/10/2019 07:07:55 pm

Deforestation is a real and serious problem. Because of the rapid growth and expansion of humankind, the forests of the world are suffering. This in turn leads to a decrease in safe habitats for animals and leads to the extinction of plants and animals alike. There is a balance though, and forests do actually benefit from strategic clear cutting or spot cutting. It helps to clear away the dead or damaged growth and leave room for the growing stand to flourish. It does not surprise me at all that there are some types of coffee plants that are becoming extinct. This is due to poor land management practices and ignorance by humans. I am not an avid coffee drinker but I do enjoy an occasional cup and I do not want to see coffee plants go extinct. In addition to the fact that it would just be proof of our poor land management practices, coffee is also a huge source of revenue in the United States. The average American spends over $1000 per year on coffee and the loss of that profit alone would be a huge blow to the economic system. I think that people need to become aware of the impact that they have on the environment and choose to make that impact positive.

Jesse B.

3/10/2019 07:30:15 pm

I am like you in that I enjoy coffee intermittently, but it would not bode well for mankind to lose coffee. Also, I agree with you in that proper forest cutting and logging can be a good thing for the world of coffee growing. You say that some kinds of coffee are going extinct because of human ignorance, would you see any benefit in the education of the populous about deforestation and its effect?

Sariah

3/10/2019 07:59:03 pm

There honestly is a lot of plants we see that are endangered by a number of things and it is sad that it is coming to this. However, I do not think we need to include profit when worrying about certain products just because the fact we make tons of money off of harmful things in the United States and we do not worry about them or pay little to no attention to them.

Conrad

3/10/2019 09:07:58 pm

I know I'd have a tough time without coffee, heck I can barely cope with it. I know that if people were educated with regard to what will happen if this keeps up, then maybe something will change.

Saylor

3/10/2019 07:18:53 pm

I could not live in a world without coffee. I don't think deforestation is worth anything. Destroying nature should not be an option, even if it gives a few jobs. On the other hand, if we are destroying nature ourselves we need to calm down on our intake of coffee. There are other options such as energy drinks and such. I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle considering I haven't heard much about the topic. There are many pros and cons to this topic.

Bailey

3/10/2019 08:10:35 pm

I agree. The government should find new ways to make jobs other than deforestation.

Kelsey

3/10/2019 08:14:07 pm

Yes, I agree. Americans are sort of in a coffee craze. We need to calm down and focus on sustainability.

Mckinlee

3/10/2019 08:31:50 pm

How do you think humans can reverse the damage we have done?

Jesse B.

3/10/2019 07:20:39 pm

Deforestation has plagued the world for years, but people have realized the negative effects of too much of it. Governments across the globe, especially in the USA, have passed legislation to regulate how and at what quantity forests are to be cut down. This has not only made many forests healthier, it has left space for habitat and recreation. In order to save the native coffee, chocolate, etc. plants from extinction, the governments of the nations where these cash crops are grown need to put into action stiff regulations to prohibit poor farming practices and reckless deforestation. It should be in their best interest to do so since the amount of income generated by this consumable vegetation is large. Personally, I would be able to function without coffee (I already do), but that is not to say I would be happy about it. I do love the taste of coffee and I would be disappointed if I could not have coffee with my breakfast while traveling (especially in Europe).

Rachel

3/10/2019 07:30:18 pm

I agree that the legislation that has already been passed has been extremely helpful in controlling the spread of deforestation in the United States. These laws have ensured that the forests can remain healthier and while deforestation can be good in small increments such as strategic cuttings that take place on the National Forests, it is not beneficial if handled incorrectly. I also agree that coffee is a major cash crop and the United States would lose a sizable amount of money without the crop bringing in profit every day.

Sadie

3/10/2019 08:40:26 pm

Teddy Roosevelt knew what was up when he started the national parks ✌

Kelsey

3/10/2019 08:05:04 pm

Deforestation is a serious threat to our environment. With out natural ecosystems, living organisms cannot carry out their individual niches which create resources that we use whether it is plants, water, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and soil. When humans change an environment, it doesn't only change that environment but it causes a chain reaction that influences everything, including us. The loss of coffee plants is a great example and it proves that we will suffer the consequences of our actions, not just the plants and animals.

Mckinlee

3/10/2019 08:29:25 pm

How do you suppose humans can end harmful ways of deforestation but keep gathering the needed materials for everyday living?

Bailey

3/10/2019 08:09:38 pm

I believe the balanced deforestation is a good thing. Like burning dead trees and brush to help allow new trees to grow. Also, controlled logging is one of the only ways to get rid of the pine beetles that are killing off all of the trees on the mountains. However, if coffee is slowly disappearing, a new kind of energy for people should be found soon, cause I can take live without my coffee.

Kelsey

3/10/2019 08:19:38 pm

Thinning trees is a great when it is needed, but I think the term deforestation refers to clear cutting. Other countries that grow coffee do not have the rules and regulations as we do, so they clear cut instead of thin.

Jazz

3/10/2019 08:31:08 pm

I agree that balanced deforestation has its benefits. What kinds of new energy enhancers do you think would become popular if coffee were to die out?

Kenna

3/10/2019 08:36:27 pm

Balanced deforestation is a good thing. It takes care of dead forest and makes it healthier.

Sadie

3/10/2019 08:38:29 pm

These recent fires have been pretty rough on our ecosystem, but it will eventually turn out for the better. New life must be "born from the ashes."

McKinlee

3/10/2019 08:28:03 pm

I can’t say that I care too much for coffee, I could live without it. But the reasons for coffee’s extinction is very real and very worrying. We need to take more responsibility and be more careful about how we live.

Jazz

3/10/2019 08:29:46 pm

How do you think we as a society could save coffee as well as other plants and animals that are affected by deforestation?

challis

3/16/2019 08:59:12 am

I agree. Even if you can live without it we should still be taking care of our world and our plants.

Sadie

3/10/2019 08:35:11 pm

I think deforestation is good at certain times and certain places, but most of the time we take it way too far. We should assign certain regions of land for agriculture and leave the rest alone. Our expansion is what's destroying ecosystems. So yes, use what is available, but don't overdo it. I've just recently started drinking coffee in the mornings and it seems to help. I cannot drink more than half a cup though or I'll get sick. I could live without coffee. Also, some species are just meant to go extinct. There are more plants out there with caffeine in them.

Brooke

3/10/2019 09:35:43 pm

Deforestation is never good. Selective harvesting is good, natural forest fires are good, but deforestation is not. It damages more than it benefits, and it needs to be stopped.

Conrad

3/10/2019 08:57:38 pm

Deforestation is bad, there is no other way around it. People have become much too out of sync with nature and the beauty it holds. Everyone wants to make that quick buck with little regard to the impact of what they are doing. Unfortunately this is happening all over, and no-one who is doing this or anyone who can prevent this all do not have the experience or the appreciation to come out and protest this. At the rate we are going, our planet will be devoid of nature and the next generations won't have the opportunity to see its beauty.

Brooke

3/10/2019 09:32:44 pm

You are right, a lot of people have started to look at nature as something to be used instead of something to be admired. We need to look out for the future of every living creature, not just ourselves.

Brooke

3/10/2019 09:30:42 pm

There is no good outcome to continuing deforestation. It is inexcusable and needs to be ceased, especially in areas where wildlife depends on the forestry. Because it gives jobs is no reason to continue--the aftermath ultimately is much worse. We cannot recreate the original material, and if we created fixed environments the biodiversity would be eliminated. Better for everyone if deforestation becomes obsolete.

Challis

3/16/2019 08:55:47 am

I would die without having my morning cup of coffee. If coffee goes extinct the human race would go extinct. Seeing that there are also many other plant species at steak, the government should do something about it to try and help.

Cup O'Joe No Mo'

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